Dr. Elsey`s Litter Box Solutions

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In upo
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Dr. Elsey’s
Litter Box Solutions
Featuring Cat Attract™
Dear Cat Lover,
No matter how much you love your cat, if
it is not using its litter box, you and your
cat have a problem. In fact, non-use of the
litter box is the number one behavioral
reason cats are abused, abandoned, and
put in shelters. In my 20 years as a felineonly veterinarian, I know the happiest cat
families are those in which the feline
residents use their litter boxes — and
nothing else.
This booklet and my litter products are dedicated to
maintaining a happy, healthy life for the cats in your
household. If you have a new kitten or a problem cat, please
read this brochure, follow the steps carefully, and use Cat
Attract™. Cat Attract’s granular size, scent, and texture are
specifically designed with your cat in mind.
If the problem persists, take your cat to a veterinarian.
Your cat may have a medical problem.
Bruce Elsey, DVM
copyright Precious Cat, Inc. 2002
Cat Attract™ was developed through years of
treating cats and testing litters in cat shelters
and in my clinic. I found that many problem
cats and young kittens prefer Cat Attract’s
texture and particle size and are drawn to its
unique natural herb blend. You will appreciate
its superior clumping ability and natural
chlorophyll odor control.
Why Cat
Attract™?
In testing, premium scoopable litters have
proven to be far more effective with problem
cats and kittens than conventional litters.
Proper use will maintain a healthier
environment for your cat.
Follow my Five Steps to a Happy Cat House
and use the Cat Attract™ program to coax your
problem cat back to its box or to teach your
kitten good litter box habits.
Don’t punish your cat! Although you may
regard your cat or kitten’s inappropriate house
soiling as spiteful, a cat with litter box
problems is either following its natural
instincts or has a medical problem. Harsh
treatment only contributes to a cat’s stress, and
may worsen the problem. Re-train your cat and
guide your kitten with patience using my
proven techniques.
The
Golden
Rule
3
Five Steps
to a
Happy Cat
Household
1. Replace Current Litter With
Cat Attract™
Unfortunately, cats don’t purchase their own
litter. If they could, they would buy a litter that
has an outdoor, natural scent, like your freshly
turned garden.
Cat Attract™ is the answer. It has a unique
herbal scent that attracts their curiosity and
the right texture for their paws. Although you
may not be aware of Cat Attract’s scent, your
cat will be.
2. Freshen Up
You don’t like a dirty bathroom, and neither
does your cat. Your cat’s sense of smell is 1000
times better than yours, so clean the litter box
thoroughly and refill it with Cat Attract™.
Remove feces and urine clumps daily; if your
cat does not respond to a clean litter box, you
may need to replace it. Some old boxes become
scratched and permeated with a scent your cat
may find offensive. Replace it and set up a
second litter box in different area. Having one
more litter box than you have cats is a good idea,
just be sure the boxes are not next to each other.
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3. Destroy the Evidence!
Once a cat has marked an area with urine or feces, a problem
cat naturally regards it as an appropriate area for relieving
itself.
Do all that you can to eliminate any trace of odor from the
“trouble spot.” Clean it thoroughly with a liquid, enzymatic
cleaner such as Cat Spray & Urine Stain & Odor Remover.
Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, which actually contribute to
the problem because of their urine like scent. Try to keep your
cat away from the trouble spot by covering the area with a
plastic carpet runner placed spike side up, self-sticking shelf
paper placed sticky side up, or aluminum foil. A lemon-scented
air freshener will also help in both repelling the cat and
neutralizing the odor.
If your cat still can’t resist the area, try placing its food there;
cats are unlikely to urinate or defecate where they eat. Use your
cat’s own fragrance to your advantage: rub a cloth between your
cat’s eye and ear to pick up its scent, then rub the cloth over the
problem area. You can also use Feliway. This feline behavior
modification spray mimics a cat’s natural facial pheromone…its
friendly pheromone. Sprayed in the cat’s environment, it creates
a comforting, reassuring feeling that reduces the impulse to
urine mark or scratch. Recognizing this friendly scent on walls,
curtains, or furniture, a cat is usually reluctant to mark the
area again. Do this two to three times a day to be most effective.
Cat Attract and Feliway make a great combination.
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4. Consider a Litter Box Makeover
Hooded litter boxes are designed for owners, not cats. Try
removing the hoods and rethink the location of the boxes. They
should be in quiet, out-of-the-way places with convenient access
for your cats, but no access for the family dog. (Some dogs will
stand around a litter box and make the cat nervous.) Keep the
boxes away from bright lights, loud noises, and vibrations from
washing machines or furnaces. Have a box in an area that will
not be bothered by toddlers or aggressive cats. If possible, try
placing one box in the center of the room where your cat will
not feel trapped or cornered. Set up one more box than the
number of cats in your household to cut down on traffic and
mess. If your house has several floors, have a box on each level.
Finally, do not put a litter box near the cat’s food dishes — this
is no more appealing for a kitty than it would be for you!
5. Treat Your Cat to Some R&R
Stress is a leading cause of litter box problems. Fortunately,
there is a lot you can do to ease your cat’s worried mind.
Territorial by nature, cats need to feel secure in their
environment in order to relax. In multiple cat households,
make sure each cat has a separate “zone” with its own food,
water, litter box, and a safe, elevated perch for relaxing. Heated
beds and carpeted cat condos make excellent retreats for
stressed cats. Play with your cat for at least 15 minutes every
day, making sure he has plenty of toys to stalk and chase.
Check out the “Special Concerns” section of this brochure for
more information on minimizing feline stress.
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Cats and kittens are not small dogs, so the idea
of “litter training” cats the same way you
housebreak a dog doesn’t work. Kittens will
naturally seek a place to dig but you can help
them be consistent. The first thing to do with
kittens is to provide accessible litter boxes.
Kittens don’t have the “control” of mature cats
and need to have litter boxes near by to avoid
traveling too far. After feeding time, it is a good
idea to place your kitten into a litter box.
Kittens have a natural elimination reflex after
eating. By putting them in a litter box, they
associate the box with the reflex.
Getting
Kittens
Started
You should also create easy access for kittens
by placing a step up until they are large
enough to be able get in the box easily by
themselves. The right litter is also essential for
kittens. Cat Attract™ is ideal because it has the
right texture for their paws and a
natural chlorophyll scent cats
like. Avoid using perfumed or
cedar-based litters with
your new kitten, as
many kittens find
them aversive.
7
Understanding
The
Problem
Cat
A problem cat is one who chooses not to use its
litter box. There are three likely causes:
medical ailments, territorial marking, or
behavioral issues. Knowing which category
your cat fits in is only a first step toward
solving the problem. Cats are creatures of
habit, and will repeatedly soil the same spot.
In other words, a litter box problem that began
with a urinary tract infection may continue
due to habit long after the infection has been
cured. Whatever the cause, it is important to
treat problem cats with both behavior
modification and stress reduction techniques.
Medical Concerns
Only one sixth of cats with urinary problems
go outside the litter box. However, blood in the
urine, increased frequency of urination, small,
hard stools, and loose movements are signs of
medical trouble that could lead to litter box
problems. See your veterinarian to help
evaluate your cat’s health, and recommend
treatment if there is a medical problem.
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Territorial Marking
Spraying, or marking territory with urine, is a natural behavior
for both male and female cats. It is a form of communication,
and should not be confused with ordinary urination outside of
the litter box. Spraying usually involves just a small amount of
urine and occurs on walls, furniture, the floor, or, occasionally,
the owner’s clothes or bedding. A cat that is marking on the
floor will leave just a small amount of urine. It will not turn
around to sniff and paw at the area, as is the case in urination.
It will just walk away after marking. A trail of urine on the
floor means the cat was standing to spray and not squatting to
urinate.
You can help diminish your cat’s need to spray by creating
“friendly zones” by using your cat’s own pheromones or Feliway,
a synthetic feline pheromone available in many stores. To use
your cat’s pheromones, rub a soft cloth between your cat’s eye
and ear. Wipe the cloth on the soiled area repeatedly over
several weeks. This tells your cat this is a “friendly zone” and
diminishes its need to mark the area. Follow the product’s
directions, spraying it on the soiled areas several times for a
month. Also, use it on high-risk areas like the edge of a sofa or
on walls. Place scratching posts in areas that are marked so
the cat will mark with the scent off its pads and not with urine.
Cats may also mark their territory with feces. Signs of this
type of territorial marking include defecation in a very
conspicuous and unusual spot, such as on top of a table.
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Your veterinarian can also help you by
prescribing various drugs to reduce marking.
You may want your cat to have a complete
physical examination to rule out any other
problems.
Behavioral Problems
This category includes everything from box
rejection (a cat who does not care for your
choice of litter) and location preference (the cat
who uses an out of the way closet instead of its
box) to stress-induced soiling (often related to
changes or upheaval in the household). Since
all litter box problems are in some sense
behavioral, these techniques make a good
starting point for solving any problem. Be
attentive, flexible, and above all, patient. With
your help, your cat can, and will, learn to
“think inside the box.”
Special
Concerns
10
The Real Tough Case
For the cat that consistently soils in the same
spot, try placing a litter box with Cat Attract™
in the “trouble spot” for a period of 10 to 14
days. After this initial phase, move the box an
inch or two each day toward the place where you would like it to
be. This method takes a lot of time and patience, but it may be
an answer.
Alternatively, confine your cat for at least one month to a room
that has not been soiled in the past. Provide a litter box filled
with Cat Attract™ along with food, water. and an elevated
hideaway. After a month, the cat should be consistently using its
litter box and you can expand its territory to include two rooms,
then three, and so on. Over time, most cats respond to this
treatment, and can eventually be trusted to roam the house.
Some, however, require a more rigorous treatment: Confine the
cat to a large cage or pet carrier. Cover the entire floor of the
carrier with litter. Create a small bed and a spot for water and
food at one end. This will force your cat to use the litter. Over
time, reduce the amount of litter in the carrier, so that the litter
only covers a portion of the floor. Once the cat is consistently
using only the litter-covered area in the carrier, bring it out into
the room and proceed with the one-room confinement treatment
outlined above.
Whichever treatment you choose, you are most likely to succeed
using Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract™. Cat Attract’s unique combination
of scoopable litter and natural herbs will help your cat overcome
resistance to other litters that may discourage use.
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Senior Cats
Senior cats may need special help getting in and out of the box.
Create a ramp to make it easier for them. For these cats, set up
extra boxes on every level of your house.
Bringing an Outdoor Cat Indoors
A cat that is used to prowling outdoors may need help
adjusting to life inside. Try mixing a few spoonsful of dirt from
its “favorite place” in with Cat Attract™. Your cat will be
attracted to the box by the familiar scent. Here again, the use
of Feliway will help create a sense of familiarity for your cat
and reduce stress.
Welcoming a New Cat
The addition of a new cat may cause feline stress and litter box
problems. Make introductions slowly, confining the new cat to
its own room for a couple of weeks. Use Feliway in both rooms
to create a calming effect for both cats. Sniffing and swatting
under the door will acquaint the cats. When they finally meet
face to face, you should expect tension or conflict for a couple of
weeks before they settle down.
To speed the process, try wiping each cat’s fur with a separate
towel daily. Then place each cat’s food dish on top of the other
cat’s towel. They will associate each other’s scent with the
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positive experience of being fed, and grow
tolerant of each other quickly. Make sure each
cat has easy access to its own safe, elevated
hideaway, and give each of them equal love and
attention. Of course, remember if you have
multiple cats, have one more litter box than
you have cats in your household.
Moving to a New Home
Cats can be traumatized during a move to a
new environment. To prevent spraying and
other stress-related litter box problems, help
your cat feel secure in its new home. Confine it
to one room for a couple of weeks, so that it can
acclimate to the new area without becoming
overwhelmed. Equip the room with all of the
comforts of home…a large litter box, a bed,
food, water, and an elevated hiding spot. Be
sure to spend extra time every day playing
with your cat during this difficult time. You
might also “prep” the new home with Feliway
adding friendly pheromones to the new
environment. Feliway is excellent for calming
cats in stressful situations such as moving in
or transporting to a veterinarian.
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Because You Love Your Cat…
1. Neuter your cat. Neutering minimizes a variety of behavioral
problems for both male and female cats, and eliminates the
risk of unwanted kittens. It is the right thing to do.
2. Take your cat to your veterinarian for regular shots and
check-ups. Even a healthy adult cat should make a visit
once a year. Kittens and older cats require more frequent
check-ups.
3. Your veterinarian my recommend that you feed your housesoiling kitty canned food. Canned food has twice the total
water content as dry food and may be beneficial for better
urinary tract health. Make the switch slowly, starting with
just a tablespoon morning and evening and then gradually
increase the amount over a two-week period. This will give
your kitty’s digestive system time to adjust.
4. Protect your cat from household hazards.
• Avoid allowing cats to play with string or yarn. Cats have
tiny barbs on their tongues that make it difficult for them
to spit out a piece of string. If swallowed, the string may
cause intestinal problems.
• Use caution with reclining chairs and garage doors;
either of these can easily crush and kill a cat.
• Discourage play with electrical cords.
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• Many houseplants, such as Easter lilies, are toxic to cats.
To keep your cat away, spray the plant with water, and
sprinkle its leaves with powdered ginger.
• Some household products, like Tylenol, Advil, and
antifreeze, are harmful to cats. A lethal dose of antifreeze
can come from a cat walking through a spill and licking
its paws.
15
A Final
Note
My practice looks after over 8000 cats. Every
day I hear about litter box problems and the
frustration a problem cat can cause. My
solution is Cat Attract™ for problem cats and
Precious Cat scoopables for happy cats.
These quality products provide the perfect
combination of granule size and texture to
duplicate a cat’s natural digging environment,
while making litter box maintenance easy for
you.
My goal is to produce reasonably priced
products that help cats live happier, healthier
lives. Cat Attract™, Precious Cat scoopables, and
Precious Pine litters will help achieve this goal
because they work.
Questions?
Ask Dr. Elsey at
www.preciouscat.com
If it has my name on it, or I recommend it,
you can be sure that it is safe and better for
your cat.
Sincerely,
Bruce Elsey, DVM
Do you know someone with a problem cat?
Pass this booklet along to a friend!
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Manufacturer Coupon
™
1.00
$
OFF
any size bag of Cat Attract™
Redeemable
at all
Precious Cat
retailers.
Includes
Cat Attract™
CONSUMER: Redeem certificate at any authorized retailer selling Dr. Elsey Cat Attract. Required
purchase necessary. Coupon may not be copied or transferred. No other coupon may be used to
purchase the same package. RETAILER:
Precious Cat, Inc. will redeem this coupon
per our Coupon Redemption Policy,
available upon request. In the event you do
not use a clearing house, this coupon will
be redeemed directly by Precious Cat.
Please mail it to Precious Cat, Inc., 4201 S.
Navajo, Unit 1 Englewood, CO 80110 along
with your return address. A check will be
mailed within two weeks.
17
Manufacturer Coupon
Manufacturer
Coupon
Exp. 12/31/03
1.00 OFF
$
40 lb. bag of Precious Cat Litter
Includes Precious Cat
Classic, Precious Cat
Ultra, and Precious Cat
Ultra Scented
Redeemable at all
Precious Cat retailers.
CONSUMER: Redeem certificate at any authorized retailer selling Dr. Elsey Precious Cat products. Required
purchase necessary. Coupon may not be copied or transferred. No other coupon may be used to purchase the same
package. RETAILER: Precious Cat, Inc.
will redeem this coupon per our Coupon
Redemption Policy, available upon
request. In the event you do not use a
clearing house, this coupon will be
redeemed directly by Precious Cat.
Please mail it to Precious Cat, Inc., 4201
S. Navajo, Unit 1 Englewood, CO 80110
along with your return address. A check
will be mailed within two weeks.
5 00338 200 76 4 (8102) 00
18
on
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Modification Spray
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FPP0310
SAVE 2.00
$
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